The present invention relates to an improvement in farm machinery which greatly increases its life. More specifically, the present invention provides an improved mechanism for attaching a closing wheel assembly to the remainder of a planter.
In modern day farm operations, spring planting is accomplished through use of a planter which deposits seeds in the ground in an orderly fashion so as to allow for controlled growing and harvesting of crops. One type of planter utilizes a mechanism known as a closing wheel assembly. The purpose of this closing wheel assembly is to compact the soil around the seed after it has been deposited in the ground so as to promote germination of the seed. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the operation of this closing wheel assembly can drastically affect the manner in which crops grow each year. Improper operation has the potential to defeat the purpose of the closing wheel assembly altogether. In turn, this can directly affect crop production and yield.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown the side view of a typical closing wheel assembly 10. Closing wheel assembly 10 consists of a pair of closing wheels 12 attached to a closing wheel arm 20. Closing wheels 12 are attached on either side of closing wheel arm 20 and are typically aligned at an angle which causes the two wheels to meet at a bottom edge 14. Closing wheel arm 20 is then attached to the planter by a planter arm 16. Typically connection between closing wheel arm 20 and planter arm 16 is accomplished by a pair of attachment bolts 18 on either side of closing wheel arm 20.
The configuration of closing wheel assembly 10 allows the entire assembly to rotate about the axis of attachment bolts 18. This rotation allows bottom edge 14 of closing wheels 12 to travel up and down as the planter traverses the ground. As can be expected, this up and down motion (and likely some further jarring forces) causes wear at the connection joint between planter arm 16 and closing wheel arm 20.
Referring to FIG. 2 there is shown a perspective view of closing wheel arm 20 shown alone. Closing wheel arm 20 includes a pair of apertures 22 existing in a pair of parallel mounting or attachment structures 24. Also shown in FIG. 2 is an attachment structure 26 to which a closing wheel 12 is attached. The alignment of apertures 22 and an aperture in planter arm 16 (not shown) along with attachment bolts 18 is very critical to the proper alignment of the closing wheel assembly 10. The alignment of each of these apertures and their relationships to one another will affect the tracking characteristics of bottom edge 14 of closing wheels 12. As misalignment can be detrimental to the growth of seeds, such misalignment must be avoided.
As previously mentioned, the motion or movement of closing wheel assembly 10 in relation to the planter causes wear on and structural degradation in closing wheel arm 20. Specifically, wear is caused in attachment apertures 22 causing them to be enlarged. Typically the inner surface of apertures 22 is relatively small (approximately 1/8 to 1/16 inch). Thus, wear is inevitable. Once this occurs, a good deal of "play" is created in the closing wheel assembly causing it to track incorrectly.
At this point, the operator has a number of alternatives in order to correct this problem. A first alternative is to replace closing wheel arm 20 entirely. While this solution will suffice to make the planter operational once again, it is not an optimum solution as closing wheel arm 20 will simply wear out in some period of time. Furthermore, the replacement of closing wheel arm 20 with a new part creates a cumbersome and involved repair process which must be undertaken by the owner. This process is undesirable as it requires removal of all parts (including closing wheels 12) and reattachment to a new closing wheel arm 20.
Another alternative is to fill in the wear created in closing wheel arm 20. Again, this is a very involved and somewhat futile process as closing wheel arm 20 is likely to wear out once again within a short period of time. Other ineffective alternatives include the use of a washer or filler part which is adjusted to pick up slack in attachment aperture 22. This solution is also ineffective due to the need for constant readjustment as the planter is used.
Consequently, a need exists for a solution which will avoid the wear which takes place in attachment apertures 22 altogether.